An Epic game again. And unknown to each other before the game, Andrew and I decided to bring along about a dozen super heavy tanks each! (Or at least the Minervans brought tanks, while I brought unreliable ramshackle Gunfortresses!)
The Orks had speed, numbers and air superiority with 18 activations. The Minervans had armour and firepower on their side with 13 activations. What would happen?
Incompertus, 4000 POINTS
Burning Death Speed Freeks (NetEA Tournament Pack 2013)
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FORTRESS MOB [275]
2 Gunfortress
FORTRESS MOB [275]
2 Gunfortress
FORTRESS MOB [275]
2 Gunfortress
FORTRESS MOB [275]
2 Gunfortress
FORTRESS MOB [275]
2 Gunfortress
FORTRESS MOB [275]
2 Gunfortress
KULT OF SPEED [200]
8 Skorcha
KULT OF SPEED [200]
8 Skorcha
KULT OF SPEED [200]
8 Skorcha
LANDA [200]
LANDA [200]
LANDA [200]
FIGHTA SKWADRON [300]
6 Fighta Bomba
FIGHTA SKWADRON [250]
5 Fighta Bomba
FIGHTA SKWADRON [150]
3 Fighta Bomba
WARBIKE OUTRIDERS [150]
5 Scout Warbikes, Warboss
WARBIKE OUTRIDERS [150]
5 Scout Warbikes
WARBIKE OUTRIDERS [150]
5 Scout Warbikes
The three Landa's carried the three Skorcha formations (edit - illegally as a reader helpfully pointed out, should have been formations of 6 warbikes with 2 Skorchas as Skorchas being light vehicles take up two transport slots!). Dave also discovered he was 50 points over 4K so I added another Fighta-Bomba to my list.
(My Ork list also had a design flaw I didn't realise at the time of making it because I had forgotten the most recent FAQ, that off-table formations don't count as your Break Their Spirit while off table (6.1.7)! That meant that rather than my big Fighta-Bomba mob being the formation in quesiton, any of the six Gunfortress mobs being lost would give a victory condition to the enemy - oops!)
My new Beast Superheavies, Shuttles and Skorchas from Vanguard Miniatures were a major part of this force.
Lunar Defence Force (counts as Minervan)
Super Heavy Tank Company: 3 Stormhammers, Supreme Commander,
Commissar, Salamander Command, Hydra [675]
Super Heavy Tank Company: 3 Stormhammers, Commissar,
Salamander Command, Hydra [575]
Super Heavy Tank Company: Stormhammer, Commissar,
2 Stormsword, Salamander Command [525]
Super Heavy Tank Company: 3 Stormhammers, Commissar,
Salamander Command [525]
Super Heavy Platoon, Stormhammer, Commissar
Super Heavy Platoon, Stormhammer, Commissar
Artillery Battery, 3 Manticores [250]
Platoon, 8 Storm Troopers, Commissar [200]
Platoon, 8 Storm Troopers, Commissar [200]
Platoon, 8 Storm Troopers [200]
Platoon, 8 Storm Troopers [200]
Fighter Squadron, 2 Thunderbolts [150]
Fighter Squadron, 2 Thunderbolts [150]
Dave noted he hadn't quite finished this army, with some super-heavy hulls being used for both Manticores and Hydras, but they look pretty cool. Also he borrowed four of my Thunderbolts.
The armour is Exodus Wars, supplied (mostly) by HLS Models, currently restocking.
Infantry are Solar Empire Marines, C-in-C Miniatures.
Battle Report
Here's the setup, with my Warbike Outriders spread out across the front, and Gunfortresses spaced in pairs across my baseline. Take and Holds Objectives are placed by Minervans in the centre, and by Orks on the extreme flanks.
Minervan's are set up defensively on their left flank, guarding against air assault by having mutual support.
Infantry hold the ruins and woods to the right of the armour.
View down the table.
Turn 1
Orks win Strategy Roll and in comes an air assault against the Manticore Artillery. The Landa takes two damage from Thunderbolts and Hydras AA but manages to land. Skorchas pile out and kill two Manticores, but support fire and combat resolution wipes out my Shuttle and Skorchas. Expensive way to neutralise an Artilllery battery...
I then start putting pressure on the Minervan centre...
...with more and more Gunfortresses advancing, and Minervans responding.
Infantry supported by tanks destroy a couple of my lead Gunfortresses in an engage action.
And a big tank push on my right forces back the ork advance there.
End of turn on my right.
Turn 2
Orks win Strategy Roll again. Feeling vulnerable vs all the Minervan Superheavy tanks, two Gunfortress mobs redeploy from my centre to put a forest between them and the enemy armour. The Imperials respond with a single Stormhammer advancing and firing waiting to see what the rest of the Orks will do.
I advance on the ruins guarding the Minervan right flank, and assault with two Gunfortresses supported by two more. Disaster though, as both Gunfortresses take critical hits and explode, losing the firefight catastrophically against only 3 infantry in range!
Super Heavy Tanks advance in the centre and break the Ork Warlord's formation.
Thunderbolts chase the Warlord down and kill him, before Fighta Bombas take their revenge.
Skorchas in a Landa drop finally take the ruins that caused so much trouble to the Gunfortresses. In turn they are routed by tank fire, taking 3 casualties.
End of turn right flank.
End of turn left flank.
Turn 3
Orks win Strategy Roll yet again. My Gunfortresses assault the Minervan Tanks.
But it goes badly and they are destroyed doing no damage.
And then supporting Gunfortresses are killed by infantry engaging from the ruins behind them, with support from the Minervan tanks. The Minervans target and kill more Orks.
I come in again from another direction with two more Gunfortress mobs in a clipping firefight assault, and this manages to break all the intermingled Minervans in the centre.
Suddenly realising the Minervans have got themselves out of position, I swoop in with Fighta-bombas and take out a Hydra and Salamander, and claim the Minervan Blitz with Landa and more Skorchas.
The Minervans are either broken or too far away from enough objectives and can't contest.
End of game. Orks win with 'Take and Hold', 'Blitz', and perhaps even 'They Shall Not Pass' victory conditions, to 'Break their Spirit' for the Minervans.
Conclusion
An interesting matchup, with the Orks having to avoid a head to head fight with the Minervan armour. Nevertheless 8 of my Gunfortresses were lost, and none of the Minervan Superheavy Tanks. I did manage to destroy most of the Minervan infantry though. Gunfortresses are not for the faint of heart, with only 4+ armour they die quickly! I just managed to sneak a win due to Minervan's being out of position in turn 3, with wide spread of the Take and Holds Objectives at extreme ends of the field helping. I'm sure the Minervans will be more careful next time though!
Well done Mark!
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